Notices respecting K'eia Books. 363 



acts ; by the sole omnipotence of his will he has produced 

 those things which his knowledge embraced, and he pro- 

 tliiced them without means and without cause," 



Scbadan answers several literary questions in a similar 

 jnanner ; we shall quote one only, which presents a pleasing 

 anecdote. Beschir asks him the origin of this Arabian 

 proverb : " The camel would be a good bargain, were it not 

 for the cursed animal hanging at its neck ;" and Schadan 

 relates the following story : 



An Arab who was plagued with a vicious camel, ex- 

 claimed in a moment of anger : " JNlay my wife be always 

 barren if I do not sell thee for a piece of silver 1" His 

 choler being over, he. devised the following method of ful- 

 filling his oath, which he repented. He suspended a cat to 

 the neck of his camel, and cried round the market, "A 

 camel and cat to sell toirether, but not separately; the camel 

 for a piece of silver, and the cat for 400." The people hear- 

 ing this, exclaimed in the words of the proverb : " The 

 camel would be a gi>od bargain, were it not for the cursed 

 animal at its neck." 



Haronn invites the two young philosophers to his palace, 

 thinking himself fortunate in securing their friendship. 

 *' Servant of God," said Beschir to him, " thy society is 

 as little lit for us as ours is for thee." " How so ?" said 

 Haroun. " Because," answered the Arab, " thou art the 

 slave of our slaves." The khalif became angry, but Beschir 

 soon appeased him by explaining the meaning oC his answer. 

 Haroun dissolves into tears, and, on withdrawing, asks 

 Beschir to be pleased to dictate somelhing to him upon 

 which he might meditate usefully. Beschir gives hiui this 

 passage in the Alcoran : 



" Have yon not seen that we have oranted them several 

 years of respite? and when the vengeance with which we 

 menaced them has come upon them, the respite we have 

 granted ihenj has been of no use to them." 



The anonymous author has not given the sense of this 

 passage correctly ; but as he- gives the original in a note, 

 the translation may be easily rectified by those acquainted 



The 



